Janus (WIP)

[Gamov]

Name: Janus

Race: Anzati

Age: 200

Height: 5'/11”

Weight: 190 lbs

Appearance:



Janus is slightly taller than the average Anzati, standing at nearly six feet tall with a slightly stocky build. He has olive colored skin and short black hair that he keeps neatly trimmed and well kept. Like all members of the Anzat race, Janus also possesses the tentacle-like proboscises hidden within his cheeks. These appendages only reveal themselves when Janus is ready to feed on the soup of a sentient being, and he is thus almost visually indistinguishable from a human at first glance. The only distinguishing feature that would quickly allow one to separate Janus from a crowd of people would be his piercing red eyes. Though he was naturally born with them, years of exposure to the teachings of the Dark Side have hardened his features and lead many to identify him as a Sith.

The armor and robes which Janus wears are symbolic in nature and are actually composed of a collection of garments which he has accumulated over his many long years of service to the Jedi and Sith respectively. The faded, azure blue robes hidden beneath his black leather tunic and worn body armor are actually the same exact robes which he had received during his time with the Jedi Order. Janus chooses to keep them due to the history behind them and the personal lessons they represent. They had seen him through his trials as a Jedi and also serve as a testament to his own years of experience – representing his own ascension to a position of power and the enlightenment he had received along with it.

Over these tattered Jedi robes, Janus wears coverings that are more easily associated with those of the Sith. The black leather coat and armored chest plate were tokens from the success of his first trial with the Sith in which he was forced to duel a rival Sith Apprentice to the death. Though the battle was a hard fought one, Janus' own skill proved to be far superior to those of the other student's and he was easily slain by the Anzati Sith. To Janus, these articles represent the sacrifice of power and continually remind him that in order to achieve perfection, one must be willing to go to any lengths to attain it.

However, of any single thing on his person, Janus prizes his lightsaber over all else. Built with his own hands, the saber holds a great deal of symbolic value to Janus and has seen him safely through every confrontation he has faced to date. Win or lose, his lightsaber has been as trustworthy as the rising sun, never failing, never wavering, always true. Janus considers his lightsaber to be just as much a part of him as his own flesh and blood, and he seeks to treat it as such. He is nearly ritualistic with his lightsaber, constantly cleaning it, disassembling it, reassembling it, tuning its focus and honing his own perfection with it. When he is not meditating on the galaxy around him, Janus can be found practicing with his lightsaber.

Personality:

Janus is a pragmatic individual for whom the ends always justify the means. His early lessons in the Force under the Jedi, and then during his allegiances to the Sith later in life, were at first confusing times for Janus as he set out on his own path in the Force. On one side he had been imbued with the Jedi tenants of compassion, mercy, care for the weak and cautioned against the dangers of the Dark Side. On the other, he was equally taught the values of the Sith – strength, passion and the inherent right for the strong to rule over the weak. However, what Janus has taken from both of these diametrically opposed views is neither here nor there. Instead, Janus holds a great deal of contempt for both sides. The Jedi are just as weak and arrogant as the Sith are strong and blind.

More than a century of existence has taught Janus one irrevocable rule – war never changes. New names may rise to power and claim their new rights to the galaxy, yet they are merely working on the foundations of their predecessors. It is within this stagnant existence that Janus finds his hatred for both sides. Where the Jedi tout equality and march under the banner of the Republic, he sees this as the greatest lie ever told in the history of existence. To him, the concept of equality is a farce that shackles the reigns of evolution by chaining the strong to the weak, staying their feet and preventing new life from being breathed into the galaxy. Likewise, he sees the Sith's greatest quality – their ambition – as their greatest failing. Centuries of infighting and squabbling over power have doomed the Sith to failure time and again, paving the way for the next generation of false prophets to assume the mantle.

Outside of his philosophical views, Janus is also a highly manipulative and private man. His natural telepathic abilities, strengthened through years of training in the Force by mentors on both ends of the spectrum, are extremely potent, and his mere presence can often times be irresistibly captivating to all but the most highly trained Force users. Janus has been known to use this allure to play others into doing his own bidding on several occasions, and can even use it to negate similar effects on himself when faced with such techniques. However, in spite of his ability to lure others to his side, in over a centuries worth of existence, Janus has only allowed a select few people in, and even then they were kept at arms length. Janus does not allow himself to become attached to any single individual or ideal for too long, as the longevity of his species often leads him to view such attachments as trivial, considering that he will likely outlive them by several decades anyway.

Additionally, Janus tends to view all other beings as subservient. The Dark Side has done a great deal to twisting this view in his many years, and he displays a nearly disdainful attitude towards non-Force users or poorly skilled Force users in general. Equally, Janus detests the galaxy's view of his people as little more than feral predators, addicted to the single purposes of hunting and feeding. Where it is possible, Janus will attempt to avoid perpetuating this stereotype by edifying the ignorant and by keeping his own desire to feed in check. Instead, he typically reserves this practice for more private times, preferring to avoid the image of a barbarian who sustains himself by feeding on the essence of others.

In battle, Janus tends to be very calm and collected. Supremely confident in his own skills, he rarely, if ever, allows his emotions to get the best of him and is not easily goaded into conflict by simple taunts or attacks against his character. Similarly, Janus has been known to employ the Sith practice of Dun Moch during combat in order to throw his opponent off their guard. Often used in close correlation with his impressive telepathic skills, Janus derives far more pleasure from defeating an adversary through psychological attacks than with his lightsaber.

As a teacher and leader, Janus' methods are harsh, unscrupulous and demand nothing short of perfection. In his own view, pain is merely weakness being driven from the body and he seeks to teach this lesson at every turn to whomever is willing to endure his austere teaching practices. Janus was not always so callous, however. As a Jedi Knight, he took a great deal of care in ensuring the safety and well being of not only his own Apprentice, but those around him. Formerly trained to use his gifts with the Force to aid the weak, Janus was eventually twisted by the Dark Side and turned these abilities inward. He no longer cares, nor makes time for the suffering of others and has developed a stubbornly egotistical sense of self.

Birth place: Tython

Faction: Dark Jedi

Rank: Master – Prophet

Biography:

Chapter 1: Alpha:

Part I

Janus' life began on the run with an escaped slave by the name of Tasha Vel. Tasha, Janus' own mother, had been used and abused in almost every way imaginable by her former owner and his seedy consorts. Ever since she was very young, all Tasha had known was the life of a slave; and even though she was only 101 standard years old, barely a mature adult by the standards of Anzati society, this did not seem to effect the gluttonous nature of her owner. During the last few months of her captivity, Tasha made the startling discovery that she was pregnant. Unwilling to let her child be born into the same lifestyle that she had experienced, she fled and soon found herself on the run from an assortment of mercenaries, bounty hunters and hired goons. Having spent the first few months after her escape hopping around the galaxy from planet to planet, it soon became obvious to Tasha that nowhere would be safe for her or her unborn child so long as her previous employer was still interested in reclaiming her. But she would not allow them to capture her child and sell them into a life of servitude. Thus, Tasha sought out the one place in the galaxy that she felt they stood the best chance of avoiding the prying eyes of her former master, Tython.

A Jedi world for centuries, Tython made for an enticing retreat to those seeking protection from the galaxy's spanning criminal underworld. Chartering her way to the Tython sector deep within the galactic core, Tasha was eager to evade the clutches of her employer and his private band of thugs. However, she had vastly underestimated the reach of her former master's power and had no idea that the pilot whom she had contracted to transport her to Tython was, in fact, on the crime lord's pay roll. A smuggler and human trafficker by trade, the pilot agreed to take Tasha to Tython, for a hefty fee of course to ensure his silence in the matter. Arriving at the local Spaceport, Tasha disembarked and was ready to pay the smuggler off when she was suddenly surrounded by a band of mercenaries. Stunned, the pilot seemed to take a fair deal of sick pleasure in watching the fear materialize in Tasha's eyes before she broke down in tears. She pleaded for her life, for the sake of her unborn son, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her former master, frustrated by the trouble she had caused him, no longer wished to reclaim her. Instead, he had ordered her killed and her body returned to his base on Metellos where she would serve as an object lesson to the other slaves of what they could expect should they decide to entertain similar thoughts of abandonment. In a blinding flurry, the group of mercenaries descended on Tasha, mercilessly attacking her.

In the ensuing assault, Tasha was savagely beaten, her life only spared by the timely appearance of a Jedi Knight who intervened and managed to fend off her attackers. In the aftermath, she was left badly beaten and nearly unconscious. Tasha was, by all clinical accounts, practically dead by the time her assailants had been driven away. However, it was obvious to the Knight that there still existed in her a small flicker of life and he quickly called for paramedics and would accompany them as they rushed her off to a local clinic for treatment. En route to the clinic, the trauma that Tasha had received from the beating had not only left her badly bruised, but it had also induced labor and her child was on the verge of being born in transit to the hospital. However, because of her weakened physical state and the severity of her injuries, the paramedics were certain that both Tasha and her child would die if they could not reach the hospital in time to administer proper treatment. The Jedi fought to prevent this, using his powers in the Force in an attempt to stabilize Tasha and keep her alive long enough to reach the doctors at the clinic. Each minute spent on their way to the hospital seemed like an eternity and fight though he may, the Jedi was waging a losing battle against the injuries.

There was a fair deal of internal bleeding from where the thugs had rained down blow after blow on her, mercilessly assaulting the woman. In addition, several of her bones had been broken or fractured and her breathing was shallow, her lungs punctured by one of her splintered ribs. Though the Jedi and the paramedics struggled valiantly to save Tasha, their efforts were for naught and she soon died mere miles from the clinic. However, the life of her child could still be saved if they acted quickly. Channeling the Force through himself, the Jedi formed a bond with Janus and used his connection to keep him alive long enough for them to reach the clinic. When they finally arrived at the hospital, Tasha's body was quickly rushed in for an emergency C-section as it was now a race against time to spare the life of her son. Though she had been declared dead for several minutes prior to their arrival, the Jedi had managed to successfully use the Force to meditate on the essence of the unborn Janus and sustain him long enough for the doctors and surgeons to perform their procedure. Janus was born roughly thirty minutes later at the Tython Medical Institute in 3,801 BBY.

Over the next few hours, the doctors at the clinic would keep a close watch on young Janus, working to make certain that at least he would be given a fighting chance at a decent life. At first, his natural biology caused much concern among the staff at the hospital as Janus had no natural biorhythm to speak of. His body emitted no heat and it was baffling to them how a child could be surviving with such peculiar traits. Entire batteries of test revealed little about how his body was functioning. Of course, all of these concerns were eventually put to rest when a doctor at the clinic who specialized in esoteric alien species and xenobiology identified Janus as an Anzati. However, the most astonishing discovery about Janus had yet to be made. In accordance with procedures at the time, Janus' blood was tested for a midichlorian count, and what the doctors found amazed them. His midichlorian count was well above those of the other children in the ward with him, though this came as little surprise to the Jedi Knight who had accompanied the paramedics to the clinic. Through his connection to Janus, the Jedi was able to deduce that he was indeed strongly bonded with the Force.

With no living relatives or immediate family on record for Janus to go home to, he was effectively orphaned and left without a home to call his own. Of course, this was all except for the Jedi. Seeing this as an opportunity to provide a stable life for Janus, the staff at the clinic were approached by the Jedi who explained that he would be more than willing to adopt him and take him to the Jedi Academy where he would be cared for, looked after and trained on how to harness his innate bond with the Force. The quality of life with the Jedi at their academy would most likely be far superior to what Janus could expect in any adoption agency or foster home, and thus the clinic agreed to release Janus to the custody of the Jedi.

Part II

Over the next several years, Janus would live at the Jedi Academy on Tython, being cared for along side a small group of other Force sensitive infants. Each of them in their own rights had impressive connections to the Force, but none were so strong as Janus. The natural telepathic abilities of his people had afforded him a deeper connection to the Force than most children his age would have otherwise had. At first, his gifts with the Force did not manifest themselves in any obvious way other than one's ability to detect his latent telepathic capabilities. However, by his third year at the academy, Janus was beginning to exhibit a heightened sense of awareness through sharper than average reflexes. For a mere three year old, Janus seemed genuinely connected to, and aware of, his surroundings. Though this trait did not go so far that he was able to predict events before they could transpire, the displays were nevertheless encouraging signs of things to come.

By age four, Janus was elevated to the position of a Youngling within the academy along with the other children in his age group. Having never been allowed to know his mother, and indeed because the Jedi had felt it best to keep this information from him from the outset, Janus began to view the Jedi as his family and grew very close to them in the months thereafter. Entering into his training with the Jedi as part of a class of roughly twelve students, himself included, Janus would go on to learn the ways of the Jedi and the Force under the tutelage of Master Bazel Tannis. Master Tannis, formerly a well accomplished and highly respected Jedi Master, had since relinquished the adventure and excitement of his golden years in order to share his vast knowledge with the new generations of Jedi. As an instructor for Younglings and a former master to several Jedi Knights who were still serving the order, Bazel was looked to by many as both a kind and sagacious mentor; and at 65 years old, was considered among the most experienced and educated among the Jedi at the academy.

Charged with yet another class of brilliant young initiates to the Force, Tannis set about educating them on the subjects of science, mathematics, the history of both the Jedi Order and the galaxy, and even literature – among other things. During his formal education under Master Tannis, Janus proved to be a bright and outgoing student, easily taking to his studies and forming a close friendship with many of his fellow classmates, including a young Trandoshan by the name of Pehkt. Found among the ruins of his family's home on Dosha, the victims of a brutal blood feud between two rival clans, Pehkt was a bit older than Janus and thus had at least some vague memories of his parents and his home before they were lost to him. As such, he was more socially regressed than the other Younglings and appeared shy and introverted. None the less, Janus, through a method that he could not entirely understand, felt a sense of compassion for Pehkt – almost as if he could feel or relate to the pain he was feeling at the loss of his parents. Through this mutual bond, the two became very close and Janus was slowly able to coax Pehkt out of his self constructed shell to become a more effluent individual. For his part, Pehkt was just happy to have someone that seemed to understand him and came to confide in Janus as a friend.

Beyond his burgeoning friendship with Pehkt, Bazel was especially influential on young Janus, as his penchant for joking with the Younglings and keeping them entertained with small parlor tricks or stories from his past were welcomed respites from his academics. In addition to their instructions in more conventional subjects, the Younglings were also introduced to the basic concepts of the Force, some martial arts forms, swordsmanship and even some elementary sword skills. It was here where Janus began to truly shine as a Jedi hopeful as his command over the Force seemed to easily surpass the other students in his class. Though these were little more than the beginning steps on his journey down the path to becoming a true Jedi, Janus was already proving to be a promising student through the ease at which he grasped his studies. Where he had once only exhibited slightly heightened reflexes, Janus was now demonstrating some potential with telekinesis. Although his skills were still undeveloped with the ability, expressed through little more than his ability to hold small objects aloft or stack books atop one another, it was an area in which Janus was demonstrating exceptional talent. Over the next few months, Master Tannis would pay special attention to Janus' capabilities, helping him to focus his telekinetic powers.

However, while Janus seemed to proceed forward by leaps and bounds ahead of the other Younglings in his Force training, Pehkt was considered a highly adept duelist and his skill with the blade was virtually unmatched by the other initiates in their class. Having been trained at least partially by his father in swordsmanship before his death, Pehkt demonstrated an extreme knack for the form of a swordsman. Where Janus had been given extra attention for his Force abilities, so too was Pehkt elevated for his work with the lightsaber. Together, the pair were slowly growing to become a formidable team, as Janus was typically paired with Pehkt in order to help him sharpen his own dueling skills. Likewise, Pehkt came to rely on Janus for his affinity with the Force. While most situations akin to this may have caused a tense rivalry among lesser students, Janus and Pehkt had in fact only drawn closer due to their near dependency on one another. Over the following months, both Janus and Pehkt were considered the top two students currently under Bazel's care and there was much hope for each of their futures with the order.

Chapter 2: Learning the Force:

Part I

In the following years, Tannis would continue to use his skills as a Sentinel continue Janus' training by furthering his lessons in swordplay and the Force. As expected, Pehkt continued to be the star pupil when it came to dueling skills, and his rise to the top ranks of the class was nearly meteoric. However, Janus, Bazel's formerly most apt student in the Force, was beginning to fall behind the rest of the students thanks to the efforts of a young Echani girl named Azlyn Nune. Considered by far to be the most skilled Force adept in the class, Azlyn had since usurped Janus' position with little effort and was well on her way to a promising future in the order. This was much to Janus' own distaste, and he soon formed a grudging rivalry with Azlyn. Her command over the Force seemed to outstrip his own by leaps and bounds, and to make matters worse, she was far from humble in this fact. On many occasions she would go out of her way to prove just how much better she was than Janus. However, little did she know that her innate gifts would eventually come to be her undoing. She was about to become the involuntary target of Janus' anger.

As Janus' skills with the Force continued to flourish, so too did a deep seated urge in him. A primal urge originating from generations of his people that Janus had not quite experienced the likes of. As any other being, he did know the feeling of hunger, the drive to feed for survival. But this new hunger felt deeper, unable to be sated by mere food. Unlike typical hunger, this called out to him, guided him and attracted him to other beings around him. At the age of 10, he struggled to comprehend what he was feeling and why. For some inexplicable reason, he thirsted for the very essence of other creatures and found controlling this urge to be nearly impossible at times. Eventually, events came to a dramatic climax one evening at the academy while Janus lay awake in his bed, the hunger gnawing at him like a ravenous animal. He could not sleep, and all he could do was stare absently at the ceiling in his room, an aching emptiness somewhere deep inside him driving him to hunt for sustenance. Finally, almost as if he were possessed by another mind not of his own, Janus crept out of his room to stalk the halls. In the dim moonlight of the hallways, his senses guided him through the vacant halls to the chamber three doors down from his own. With a gentle touch, the door to the room slid open at Janus' command and he slipped through the opening. Inside, the pale moon illuminated his prize and Janus cautiously approached the slumbering Azlyn. As he neared her, the hunger in him seemed to grow more potent, awakening a latent desire in him.

Carefully, he approached her bedside and craned his figure over her own. She hadn't the slightest idea of what was about to happen, and neither did Janus. Almost as if his instincts had been programmed to do so, Janus extended a hand to the sleeping girl's face and firmly clasped his palm over her mouth to prevent her screams from alerting the others. Moments later, a slender pair of proboscises extended from Janus' cheeks and he moved his face close to her own. In that moment, Azlyn's eyes suddenly shot open, her silver eyes gazing back into Janus' own red glare. She attempted to scream, only to find the attempt muffled. She moved to pry Janus' hand from her mouth, only to find herself suddenly immobilized as Janus leaped onto her bed and shifted his weight over her body, pinning her beneath him as he pushed the air from her lungs by pressing her chest between his knees. She struggled under him in an attempt to escape, but her efforts were in vain as Janus moved in closer, the proboscises snaking their way into Azlyn's nostrils, probing their way towards her brain where their presence began to slowly sedate her. As the thrashing died down, Azlyn's gaze glazed over and her pupils dilated as she stared blankly back into Janus' eyes. Finding the hunger in him growing steadily weaker, Janus took his time in sapping the essence from Azlyn. Though he had no prior experience with such an act, years of genetic programming and instinct had given Janus all the skill he had required to drink his first victim. Eventually, the hunger seemed to die out all together, and Janus was finally able to regain control of his senses. When he did, however, he was horrified at the sight in front of him.

Azlyn was now little more than a hollow shell of her former self, her very mind and essence bled dry by Janus. And as he looked into the dull eyes of his victim, a sudden nausea washed over him and Janus scrambled from the bed, falling clumsily to the floor in the process, his foot snared in the frozen death grip of Azlyn's hand. As he tumbled to the floor, so too did Azlyn's body, still latched on to him like macabre shackle. Prying the dead girl's hand from his ankle, Janus scampered away from her to the far end of the room near the door, placing his back against the wall as he stared in disbelief at Azlyn's pale features. Her body was bent awkwardly over the edge of her bed so that her face was staring upside down at Janus, mouth slightly agape to reflect the abject terror she had experienced in her last moments. Sickened by what he had done, Janus could not control the pang of regret in him as guilt began to replace the hunger and tears found their way to his cheeks. However, Janus needed to compose himself. It would not be long before Azlyn's body was discovered, he needed to conceal his own doing in all of this. However, before Janus could move to dispose of the body, voices could be heard coming from behind the door in the hall outside the room.

Reacting on more fight or flight instincts than anything else, Janus ignored any chance of hiding Azlyn's body and made his way towards the window in her room. He spared only one final glance at the scene behind him before he slipped out the window, falling several feet into the grass outside the window with a dull thud. Moments later, the lights in Azlyn's room were activated and frantic voices could be heard coming through the open window. With his nerves on edge, Janus again fled the scene and vanished into the shadows of a nearby garden before he could be found out. However, even here he could not escape. While he was distracted by his escape from Azlyn's murder, he failed to notice a very content Jedi meditating in the gardens. Accidentally, Janus ran headlong into the Jedi, startling the man and causing a stir for a few seconds before things calmed down. As they did, Janus picked himself up from the dirt, prepared to continue his escape when the figure of the Jedi blocked his path. He stared up at the man, his sense of worry vanishing as he recognized the Jedi as Kento Shen-Jon.

Shen-Jon recognized Janus as well, but had to inquire as to why he was running through the gardens at such a late hour. Janus could offer no answer, as the truth would no doubt be too difficult to explain. He barely understood what he had done himself, how would telling a Jedi Knight make things any better? Passing Janus' silence off as little more than shyness for having been caught trying to have a little adventure of his own, Kento offered the boy a pleasant smile and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I think we can get you back into the academy without anyone knowing.”

Ushering Janus along at his side, Shen-Jon showed him a little used service corridor on the academy's south east side and told him that it could take him all the way back to the dorms without anyone noticing him. Gentling nudging him towards the entrance, Kento gave Janus a reassuring nod before he turned and headed back into the gardens, leaving the Youngling to his devices. However, Janus would not return to his room that night. Instead, fearing that he would almost certainly be caught for Azlyn's death, he only made it half way back to the dorms before he decided to spend the remainder of the evening in a small janitorial closet. The space was cramped and uncomfortable, but that mattered little as Janus would not be able to get back to sleep. The images of Azlyn's dead body were still far too fresh in his mind and it seemed the only thing he could manage to do was huddle in a corner and contemplate what a freak he had become. Guilt mixed with grief, confusion and remorse as he wondered if anyone at the academy would even be able to look at him the same way again.... Probably not. And he couldn't say that he blamed them. Janus could barely tolerate himself at the moment.

Eventually, Janus managed to curl up into the fetal position on the floor of the closet, staring blankly into the wall as he laid in silence, wrestling the thoughts in his own mind to figure out what was happening to him.

Part II

Morning seemed to come late the next day. If it was morning at all. Janus had lost track of time amid his turbid thoughts, the only image in his mind was the drained form of Azlyn sprawled out over her bed. It was a moment he had replayed countless times in his mind since it had first transpired. And each recounting only seemed to make it worse, yet he couldn't stop thinking about it. Why was this hunger with him? Why did he feel the urge to feed on other people? More importantly, however, how had he known how to do it with no formative training? Draining Azlyn's life had come as naturally to him as breathing, yet part of him couldn't help but feel that it was right in some way. Her death had caused his hunger to recede for the moment, and whats more, he felt slightly more empowered by the act than he had during previous hours. He couldn't have been certain, but it almost felt as if though he had connected with Azlyn on a fundamental level when he attacked her. Somehow he had felt her thoughts, tasted her very essence. And what he took from her, made him.... Better somehow. Each new hour after the initial incident had only lent to the growing sense of conflict in Janus.

However, while he was still lost in his thoughts, the door to the closet was swung wide open, allowing light to pour into the dim room. Janus was forced to protect his eyes from the harsh glare for a moment, before the familiar voice of Master Vale spoke out to him. “Janus.... What are you doing all the way down here, child?”

Shortly after Azlyn's body had been discovered, the academy had gone into a state of lock down as the search was on for not only her killer, but for Janus' whereabouts as well. One dead Youngling and another missing was not a situation that was to be handled lightly by the Jedi. Initial fears had arisen that perhaps the Sith may have had something to do with it, but such wild paranoia was soon quieted. Reaching down for him, Erika helped Janus back to his feet, and after making a quick inspection of him to ensure that he had not been injured, asked him why he had been in the closet. Again, Janus could offer no plausible explanation for his actions. However, his silence was not met with the same nonchalance from Vale as it had been from Shen-Jon. Instead, Erika became slightly suspicious of Janus, who was able to sense the disquieting thoughts in his mind. He was hiding something, and whatever he was hiding, she suspected it may somehow be linked to Azlyn's death. Still, she felt relieved that Janus was physically unharmed.

After Janus was located, the academy was allowed to resume its normal functions, but Janus would not attend his lessons for that day. Instead, he was taken by Master Vale to be questioned about the previous night's events. When confronted again with the question of what had happened, Janus was still silent, if not somewhat reluctant to reveal the full scope of what had taken place. However, Vale continued to approach the situation calmly and politely, telling Janus that she could be trusted with whatever information he had. Eventually, his guilt got the better of him and Janus broke. He could no more hold out against the will of a Jedi Master than he could stop the tides from coming in. Tearfully, he recounted the events to Erika, who was both shocked and appalled by the revelations. Even so, she had received her answer, and though it was the last answer she could have reasonably anticipated, she saw fit to treat Janus with some measure of leniency. Appearing to have already been put through his paces merely telling her what had happened, Vale would leave Janus in isolation for the next few hours while she went on to meet with other Jedi Masters about how to best handle this most unusual situation.

At a private meeting among the most senior Jedi at the academy, Erika delivered the news of how Azlyn's death had occurred. While some of the Jedi wished to expel Janus immediately, others were more sympathetic to his situation. Anzati were a rare species indeed, few had been seen in the galaxy, and of those that had been seen, very little was actually known about them. It seemed that the most prudent course of action then would be to place Janus in the protective care of a single mentor who could train him properly in order to help prevent such things from happening in the future. To this, many of the Jedi at the assembly agreed but the question still remained of who to elect. Master Vale was busy tutoring Younglings, so she was not considered. Likewise, other Masters at the academy were equally occupied by either their duties at the academy, or by galactic events.

With their resources spread so thinly, it was becoming apparent that the responsibility would most likely fall to a more seasoned Jedi Knight rather than a Master. In the following days, several candidates were reviewed, but eventually the Masters elected Kento Shen-Jon for the position. His past experiences with Janus, though they may have been peripheral in nature, raised the hope that Janus might trust him more readily than another Jedi. Additionally, his prior reviews as a mentor and teacher, while not considered immaculate by any standard, were deemed exemplary and the general consensus was that Shen-Jon would be the ideal choice. Graciously, Kento accepted his new assignment and Janus was placed in his custody as a Padawan learner. As well, it was deemed by the Jedi Masters at the time that it would better suit Janus if he were to be reassigned to another training center far from the academy on Tython, removed from the negative emotions and experiences that had gathered at the Tython academy. Of course, Shen-Jon humbly obliged his superior's wishes and would set off towards Coruscant with Janus where he would continue the boy's training at the Jedi Temple there.

Introduced to Kento formally for the first time, Janus at first did not understand what was going on. He had anticipated an excommunication from the order, but when word came that he would be continuing his lessons under a new mentor, Janus was left thoroughly beguiled, yet relived at the same time. However, from the outset of their partnership, Shen-Jon and Janus would form a close working bond with one another. Janus felt a measure of safety and security around Kento that he had not experienced with other Jedi – not even under Master Tannis, in spite of their overly positive relationship. From the very outset of his new mission, Shen-Jon was driven to succeed. And for the most part, this same drive and determination would translate to Janus as well in the coming years.

Part III

Afforded access to the Jedi's vast wealth of knowledge spread throughout the galaxy, Shen-Jon would be allowed to utilize any and all tools at his disposal to to instill positive values and self confidence in his Padawan. It was a tall order to fulfill by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering some of Janus' previous Masters. Filling their role would be a task in the extreme, but Shen-Jon felt confident enough that he could succeed. Taking Janus along with him, the two set off towards Coruscant and the Jedi Temple. It was Kento's hope, along with those of his Masters, that perhaps a change in venue would help Janus to quickly readjust himself and move past his actions on Tython. Paramount to Shen-Jon's initial lessons to Janus was teaching him a way in which he could control his craving for the essence of other beings.

Thus, he began to instruct Janus on some basic meditation techniques that would be able to help him curb the urges within him. These lessons were slow in the making for Janus, as the mind of a 12 year old was not as well designed to resisting a power as great as primal instinct. Still, Janus would take to these studies with just as much determination as he had with his other lessons in the Force and after a time, with a great deal of help from Kento, he was able to suppress his cravings to a certain degree. They still existed within him, and he could still find himself drawn to other creatures from time to time, but with Shen-Jon's constant guidance even these minor cravings could be controlled. However, even as Janus learned to keep his hunger in check, the same could not be said for his own personal guilt. Azlyn's death had left an indelible impact on Janus' psyche, and where he once had seen the Force as a curse, this view began to shift and become more centrally focused. Janus thought that he himself was cursed. Even from his earliest years with the order he could sense that there was something inherently different about himself that set him apart from the other children in his class. Though his class was a diverse one, representing several different alien species from across the galaxy, Janus had still felt out of place on a fundamental level. This feeling changed little when Shen-Jon relocated to the temple on Coruscant with him.

Now exposed to a wider array of alien species from all walks of life and various cultural backgrounds, Janus found the search for his own identity gaining importance. However, as a Padawan, Janus was afforded a bit more leniency now than he had been in previous years. He was free to roam the temple and interact with the other Jedi there, and when he was not busying himself with his instructions in the Force, Janus would spend a fair deal of time skimming through the temple's extensive archives. Here, he would spend his free time researching esoteric alien species in the hopes that he could gain some form of knowledge as to who he truly was. Janus even hoped to find an answer, or possibly even a permanent solution, to the hunger that dwelled in him. However, the archives seemed incomplete, frustratingly so. Very little was offered to Janus in the form of answers beyond a vague series of hastily prepared documents that recorded only minuscule details about his people. Still, he had not come away empty handed from his research. In his time, Janus had discovered that his people were considered just as enigmatic as he himself was. Little was known of the Anzati at the time, and even fewer people had had the privilege of meeting one face to face. In this knowledge, Janus found a small measure of peace. Where he had once felt like a freakishly out of place creature, this notion slowly became a more positive one as Janus found some pride in belonging to such an apparently mythical race of beings.

With his confidence gradually returning to him, Janus would eagerly undertake his Force training once more. Among some of his new lessons, he was taught how to refine his already existing telekinetic powers. He was taught how to focus it more accurately onto specific things and Shen-Jon would often test his accuracy with this power by giving Janus small puzzles to work with. The objectives were simple – using only the Force, Janus would be asked to assemble these puzzles without using his hands. The first few attempts were clumsy, but with further guidance from Shen-Jon, Janus gradually developed enough skill with telekinesis to be able to put the puzzles together with little trouble. In the following months, the small puzzles were done away with and Janus was tasked with more challenging tests such as learning how to harness this ability to push or pull objects across greater distances. Where Janus was once only asked to use his powers to accomplish minor tasks such as levitating objects, he was now taught how to more precisely control individual objects through the simple power of thought. One such test involved recovering his training saber from a locked chest. As per Kento's instruction, Janus was told only to use the Force to manipulate the lock into opening for him. This task would require a far greater deal of focus than what Janus had been asked to accomplish in prior tests, but nonetheless he was finally able to complete even this challenge after a few weeks of additional training.

Along side his telekinetic abilities, Janus would continue to develop his telepathic powers, quietly meditating for hours at a time with Shen-Jon and engaging in simple mind games to help build his cognitive skills. These games were not always focused on the Force, however. At times, Kento would help Janus to build his cognitive skills by giving him challenging mental tests. Some of the simpler tests were little more than shell games where Shen-Jon would place a pebble beneath one of three plastic cups. Once the cups were shuffled around several times, Janus would be asked to try and remember which cup the pebble was under without using the Force to guide him. More often than not, Janus could keep track of the pebble and he quickly outgrew such childish tests. In response, Kento would take his Padawan's testing to the next level, presenting him with an intricate puzzle box. The goal of the puzzle was akin to that of a Rubik's Cube, except within the center of the box there was held a small crystal. Only when all of the proper colors were aligned on each of the cube's six sides could it be opened and the crystal retrieved. This test proved to be more challenging to Janus than previous tests had been, and it actually took him several weeks to accomplish. However, once he had completed it the first time, each successive time thereafter the puzzle grew easier and easier until even this test became a simple exercise for Janus.

As his student's abilities continued to grow, so too did Shen-Jon's pride. Janus had come a very long way in these past few years from the shy young boy he had become. It even appeared that after a time, Janus had made peace with himself with regards to the incident on Tython. While his Padawan would no doubt be unable to simply forget what he had done, it was clear that he had taken to his training as a way to distance himself from the past and move forward into a brighter future. As a teacher, this was perhaps the most rewarding thing to be able to accomplish. To be able to help a student overcome a personal fear or disability was far more satisfying than teaching them any Force power or lightsaber technique.

Beyond continuing Janus' Force training and the skill building mental games, Kento would also call upon his own years of experience with lightsaber combat forms to expand on Janus' sword skills. Though Janus had fallen well behind in this subject on several occasions, his efforts always overshadowed by either Pehkt or other students, with the pressure of competition with other Padawans removed and replaced by the more direct one on one approach afforded to him by Shen-Jon, Janus began to grasp at the fundamental skills behind the lightsaber. Over time, his skills in Shii-Cho would only improve and by the age of 15, Kento considered Janus skilled enough to finally begin learning how to construct his own lightsaber. This was considered a momentous occasion for any Jedi, regardless of skill level, and it was not taken lightly by Kento. He began this lesson in the same manner he had when he first taught Aleena how to construct her lightsaber. Kento began by teaching Janus about the intricate inner workings of his own lghtsaber. He would disassemble it, explain how each part worked and how they went together, then reassemble it. Shen-Jon would ask Janus to do the same with his own training saber before he would allow him to make one of his own.

Janus, not an especially technical child, had some difficulty at first with the training saber. Taking it apart was simple enough, as was explaining to Shen-Jon how it worked. However, getting the device back together was another story. Still, through sheer determination and resolve, Janus would eventually to learn how to reassemble his training saber. His first few attempts at it were sloppy, however, and Shen-Jon would instruct Janus to go back and try again until he could properly assemble the saber. This would prove to be somewhat frustrating for Janus, and his temper began to flare at what he perceived as Kento's own obstinance. However, Shen-Jon held firm in his position. A lightsaber was just as symbolic as it was elegant, rushing this phase of Janus' training was something that Kento was simply not going to allow. Not only did the lightsaber represent one's status as a Jedi, but it also signified their greater wisdom and maturity. Resist though he may have at first, eventually Janus calmed himself enough to focus on his given task with a clear mind. After several weeks worth of painstaking attention to the subject, he had finally manage to reconstruct his training saber with more satisfactory results. When he presented the finished lightsaber to Shen-Jon, he was pleased with Janus' progression and deemed him ready to construct his own saber.

Part IV

As constructing his lightsaber would be the first crucial step towards attaining Knighthood, Janus spent several days preparing for the test as Shen-Jon explained that Janus would need to travel off world to complete this particular trial. The target world was that of Ilum, a frozen planet that held within its vast caves some of the largest collections of lightsaber crystals in the known galaxy. To prepare for the harsh conditions of the world, Janus spent the next few days preparing himself both physically and mentally as he would be left alone for a weeks time to construct the hilt and select a crystal without any assistance. Eventually, Janus felt confident enough in his preparations and Kento agreed to take his Padawan to Ilum. There, Janus was left without any weapons, the pieces to his training saber and only enough provisions to see him through a week on the planet's surface. At 15 years old, and with little more than these few items in hand and the clothes on his back to protect him from the driving blizzard, Janus set out towards the crystal caves, using the Force to guide his way.

Luckily for Janus, the light that resided within the caves made them glow like a beacon through the storm, and after a few hours worth of hiking over rocky moguls, uneven terrain and knee high snow drifts, he arrived at the entrance to the caves. Exhausted and half frozen, Janus made his way into the shelter of the caverns where the dazzling array of crystals shimmering on the walls proved to be far beyond what he had anticipated in even his wildest imagination. After using a brief meditation technique taught to him by Shen-Jon to help warm his body and dispel the frigid cold that had begun to set in through his damp robes, Janus set to work constructing his lightsaber by first laying all of the components he'd brought with him out on the cave floor in front of him. Sitting on the cool floor of the cave, Janus looked to the individual pieces arrayed in front of him and began entering into a deep meditation to begin the process of constructing his lightsaber. He would spend hours on each piece, probing it with the Force to find the one that would be just right. Over the next few days, the hilt began to come together, each piece of the device carefully considered and intricately moved into place by Janus until he had achieved what he felt to be the perfect balance. With the hilt itself completed, it was finally time to choose the crystals. For the color crystal, Janus would again meditate on his surroundings, biding his time for the proper crystal to reveal itself to him.

Several more days would pass, with Janus often foregoing sleep and nourishment as he focused on his task with extreme dedication. He would keep his senses relatively sharp and his body sustained through the Force, but much of Janus' attention was directed at finding the perfect crystal for his lightsaber. However, by the time of his sixth day in the cave, a specific crystal finally called out to him above the rest. It was an emerald crystal with a deep verdant color and a brilliant lustrous sheen. With a crystal finally chosen, it was now time to think about the focusing crystal. For this, Janus would opt use the existing Rubat crystal from his training lightsaber. As Rubat was knowns for sharpening the appearance and definition of the blade, Janus had adapted early on to utilizing this kind of focusing crystal. The finer definition of the blade provided by the Rubat allowed Janus to more easily track the blade, affording him the ability to strike more accurately. The very next day after Janus had managed to choose his crystals, Shen-Jon arrived on the planet to check in on his Padawan. Finding Janus calmly meditating in the cave, he recognized that he had done well thus far. The hilt was constructed with extreme care and precision, and the crystals, while more a matter of personal preference than anything else, seemed to work nicely as well with the device.

Impressed with Janus' progression of skill, Kento returned with him to the temple on Coruscant where Janus would spend the remainder of the month focusing on the crystals, imbuing them with the Force and attuning them to himself. Eventually, they, just as he had done with the hilt, were carefully placed within the lightsaber and Janus was able to activate it for the first time after many long weeks of exhausting meditation and concentration. The blade sprang to life with a sharp hiss, illuminating his surroundings in a brilliant green hue and a high pitched hum. Janus was exceptionally gratified by his accomplishment and could not help but feel a measure of pride in his handiwork. With a lgithsaber of his own now, Janus was more than eager to begin learning more advanced combat forms and techniques.

Building on what he had already learned through his lessons in Shii-Cho, Janus would be taught a few more complex maneuvers that would eventually branch into an introduction to the Ataru form. In the preceding years, the lessons Janus would receive would begin to focus more and more on finesse, footwork, control and how to use the Force to aid him in battle. By the time he was 18, Janus had mastered Shii-Cho under Shen-Jon's guidance and was beginning to develop some skill with Ataru. As his skills with the lightsaber progressed, training droids and remotes were gradually replaced by physical opponents and on some occasions, Shen-Jon would further Janus' education through practice duels with him. But these duels rarely appeared fair. A seasoned Jedi Knight in his mid 40's against a fresh newcomer to the Force, few would think the match up an even affair. However, these were, in truth, carefully constructed training exercises by Kento in order to improve Janus' skill against an armed foe. As time went on in his training, Shen-Jon would test his Apprentice even further and divulge some of the more complex powers and philosophies of the Force.

Among these abilities was learning how to use the Force to understand a number of foreign languages. Kento himself had found the ability to be extremely useful while traveling the galaxy, and especially during diplomatic situations where cultural boundaries might clash and intentions lost in translation. Though the concept took some time for Janus to grasp, after a few months worth of training he had finally developed the necessary skills needed to understand a handful of foreign languages through the Force including the Binary language of droids.

With Janus' training progressing steadily, it became clear to Kento that with his pupil readily grasping the more complex lightsaber techniques, there was a need to teach his Apprentice about some of the more useful defensive applications behind the Force. As such, Shen-Jon was more then willing to instruct Janus on how to manipulate the Force and use it to defend himself not only during battle, but as a form of prevention to avoid conflict wherever possible. Though Janus expressed little interest in the healing techniques of the Force, he was interested in the abilities that could help him to improve upon his dueling skills. And one of the earliest teachings afforded to him by Kento on the subject was that of Force Barrier.

Creating barriers with the Force didn't provide many benefits to lightsaber combat, but Janus could see the usefulness behind it. Shen-Jon educated his young pupil on the possible applications of the barrier, teaching him how to use it not only for defense, but for offense as well. With Kento's guidance, Janus studied how to properly utilize this new ability to keep out all manner of attacks ranging from telekinetic brushes, to physical objects such as stones and even blaster bolts. Janus was even trained in the offensive applications of the barrier. As instructed by Shen-Jon, he was taught how to encircle specific things in protective barriers. Anything could be protected by a Force Barrier, Kento would explain; everything from another person to a starship. The only hurdle was one's mindset. However, with the tutelage of his wise mentor, Janus became an astute practitioner of the Force Barrier technique, able to conjure protective bubbles around himself and others within a moments notice. Though he still remained years behind Shen-Jon in his skill with the ability, Janus was nonetheless proving to be a bright and talented practitioner of the Force.

Now nearly at the age of 19, Janus was growing somewhat restless in his training. He had learned much in his time with Shen-Jon, but he yearned for the opportunity to really show off his skills. The last few years of his life had been spent in relative seclusion at the Jedi Temple, rigorously training and practicing. His Force powers had grown, as had his lightsaber skills and Janus was eager to test himself further on actual missions. More than anything at this point, his focus was on becoming a full fledged Jedi Knight and taking on the responsibility of his own Padawan. Though Shen-Jon cautioned that while Knighthood was a significant accomplishment and the responsibilities that came with it were not to be taken lightly, he equally recognized Janus' avidness to grow into a life of his own as a Jedi. Not one to deny his Padawan this opportunity, Shen-Jon arranged to have Janus accompany him on a strictly diplomatic mission to Rendili.

[Gamov]

Chapter 3: Trials of a Jedi:

Part I

As his first official mission with the Jedi, Janus was a bit more than excited to be taking part in it. Here was an opportunity now to show off to Shen-Jon all that he had learned in the years he had been training at the temple on Coruscant. However, Janus' mood was tempered somewhat by the nature of the mission. As they had been briefed before they had set out from the temple, Rendili was currently in the midst of a crippling labor dispute. The acting Arch-Provost of the planet, Roan Kast was seeking to dissolve the local Shipwrights Union in order to subvert Republic legislature and give himself a free hand to do with his corporate interests as he pleased. Considering Rendili's own standing as a long time subsidiary of the Republic, such a move was seen as borderline secessionist and the Senate voted unanimously to intervene and restore order. Along with a small Republic task force, both Kento and Janus were inserted into the system to act as mediators. Their purpose was simple enough on paper – negotiate with Kast and convince him to stop seeking the dissolution to the planetary labor union. A peaceful negotiation was obviously preferable, but the use of force had been grudgingly authorized by the Chancellor should the peace talks fail. Though the general thinking was that with Jedi present, hostilities could be averted.

Arriving at the planet, Shen-Jon's task force was met with a small blockade of warships that were privately owned by Rendili StarDrive Incorporated. Though their numbers and firepower hardly matched the Republic's own ships, they nevertheless acted on their standing orders and sent a demand to the Republic flagship, Crusader that they were to leave the system immediately. When met with this demand, Kento ordered the vessels in his fleet to power down their weapons and shields as a show of non-aggression. Hesitantly, the acting commander for the battle group, Captain Kuril agreed and ordered his ships to stand down. Moments later, a second communication from the enemy fleet came through. This time it was Roan himself, contacting the Republic fleet from an orbital shipyard around the planet. When he had been informed by his subordinates that a pair of Jedi had been sent to negotiate with him, he was eager to speak with them. Arranging a meeting between himself, Shen-Jon and Janus, Kast agreed to speak with them personally aboard his own flagship, the Resolute.

Although Kento humbly accepted the Arch-Provost's offer, he cautioned Janus that this could be a trap. It felt strange to him that Kast would put himself on the front lines so readily. Why he was not hiding away safely in some palace on the planet's surface was, for Shen-Jon, something of a warning sign. Though it did not outright mean there was an imminent threat from the man, his actions up to this point made him bear a keen eye from the Jedi. Janus agreed and would follow his mentor's lead as they departed from the Republic fleet and made their way towards Kast's ship, which had moved into a neutral position between the opposing fleets as a show of faith. Once they had arrived aboard the Resolute, the pair were greeted by one of Roan's assistants before they were escorted to a private conference room and instructed to await Kast's arrival. However, after having boarded the ship, Shen-Jon could sense that something was amiss. A dark presence seemed to exist on the ship, a presence that was doing its best to keep itself hidden from notice. To Shen-Jon this was the unmistakable corruption of the Dark Side. Though Janus could sense the foreign presence as well, he was not certain what to make of it. He had never experienced the Dark Side before and was left looking to Shen-Jon for further guidance.

Kento did eventually affirm his own feelings on the matter to Janus, and instructed him to stay well clear of any potential danger while they were aboard the ship. Realizing that so long as there was a Dark Side presence at Rendili, there would be no negotiations, Shen-Jon advised Janus to simply observe and follow his lead for the time being. Janus would oblige, but grudgingly so. He wanted a chance to prove himself in combat, and he certainly wouldn't get that hanging back and watching Shen-Jon do all the work. Within himself, Janus had made the conscious choice to ignore his mentor's wisdom and was eagerly awaiting a moment where he could demonstrate his skills.

A short time after they had been taken to the meeting room, Kast finally arrived to meet with the pair of Jedi. Overall, the Arch-Provost was very pleasant towards them, though also somewhat condescending and arrogant. Despite having invited his guests aboard his own ship, it quickly became obvious to both Shen-Jon and Janus that Roan had no intentions of reaching a peaceful resolution to the situation. He reiterated his demands, in no uncertain terms, that he wanted the Jedi and the Republic out of his system. He offered them only two options, leave and never return, or face complete annihilation at the hands of his fleet. With his hand played, Kast left the pair with a small detachment of guards to see them off of his ship while he returned to the bridge. Politely, Shen-Jon obliged Kast and both he and Janus returned to the hanger under escort. But, when they arrived at their shuttle, Kento took the opportunity to use the Force to persuade the guards to leave them alon. With the guards having wandered off in a dazed stupor, Kento instructed Janus to return to the fleet and inform them that the Arch-Provost was not the man behind events here.

At first, Janus was weary at leaving Shen-Jon's side. He insisted that he could help him track down and eliminate whoever was manipulating Kast. But Kento was firm, again ordering Janus to return to the Republic flotilla and report to Captain Kuril. Reluctantly, Janus did just that, taking the shuttle they had arrived on to return to the Crusader. Meanwhile, Shen-Jon would pursue Roan to the bridge of his ship, using his own skill with the Force Stealth ability to remain largely undetected by other sentries. Arriving at the entrance to the bridge of Kast's ship, Kento was cautious not to disturb his surroundings or bring notice to himself as he finally managed to glimpse the figure who he suspected was the true culprit behind the unrest here. Though their voices were hushed and the figure standing on the other side of the Arch-Provost was obscured by flowing black robes, Shen-Jon's suspicions were all but confirmed when Roan referred to the man as “Lord”. Whatever their arrangements were, it was clear that this Lord was the one calling the shots on Rendili.

Having gathered all of the information he needed to act on for the moment, Shen-Jon retreated to a more secluded location aboard the Resolute and sent a short burst transmission back to the Republic fleet. The signal would contain no words or message, just a simple security code that identified who he was, what his situation was and what action the fleet was to take.

Aboard the Crusader, Shen-Jon's message came through as clear as day. The implication of a Dark Jedi being present, manipulating the local government and subverting Republic jurisdiction provided enough actionable intelligence for Captain Kuril to order his fleet into action. As his ships resumed their battle ready status, Kuril sent a message directly to the Resolute, demanding that Roan surrender immediately or face punishment. The message came as a shock to Kast, who was promptly berated by his Dark Lord handler for failing to keep his involvement a secret. As Roan pleaded for his life, insisting that he had no idea how the Republic could have found out, he was abruptly cut off when the Dark Jedi seized the man by his throat and hefted him into the air. His feet dangling inches from the floor and with muffled gargling sounds coming from his mouth, Roan was in danger of being killed by the Dark Jedi when Shen-Jon's sudden appearance on the bridge broke the Dark Lord's concentration.

Even by his standards, Kento knew this was probably a bad idea. But if anything, he had to keep the Dark Lord distracted long enough for the Republic fleet to launch a boarding party against the Resolute. ”I knew I could sense the Dark Side here. I could from the moment we arrived. Now why don't you do everyone a favor and just lay down your weapon. The less blood we spill, the better of we'll all be.”

The Dark Jedi sneered at Kento's demand for his surrender and hurled Roan across the bridge of the ship where he slammed into the wall, collapsing with a sharp grunt. As the Dark Lord turned his attention on Shen-Jon, he growled at him. ”You have no idea the power with which you are dealing, Jedi. I will take a great deal of pleasure in gutting you myself.” With a quick flick of his wrist, the hilt of his lightsaber slid into the palm of his hand from beneath the sleeve of his robe before igniting with a sharp hiss.

Shen-Jon casually threw his own cloak off of his shoulders and summoned his own lightsaber to his hand, its sapphire blade gleaming defiantly on the bridge against that of the Dark Jedi's own scarlet blade. ”I did not want it to come to this. But if you force my hand, then I have no other choice.” Kento once more gave the Dark Jedi the opportunity to surrender, but suspected that his request would fall on deaf ears once more as he assumed an Ataru styled stance.

The Dark Jedi gave Shen-Jon a twisted grin in response, his ragged and discolored teeth showing from behind his pale lips as his aged face was twisted into a sinister smirk. Seconds later, the Dark Lord dashed forward, using the Force to propel himself across the bridge with incredible speed as he brought his saber forward to face Shen-Jon with the intent of skewering him through the stomach with his crimson blade. Kento reacted with equal speed, however, and twisted his blade to his defense, parrying the Dark Jedi's initial strike safely away from himself. Now the burden was on him to keep the man distracted long enough to let Captain Kuril's men do their job. With any luck, they were having an easier time than he was bound to have. Fortunately for Shen-Jon, the Republic fleet was having an exceptionally easy time of sweeping aside Roan's small defense fleet. With their acting commanders incapacitated and unable to relay commands to them, many of the ships simply fled when the Republic flotilla began its advance. Those that did fight were quickly subdued, leaving only the Resolute on the field.

---

With his forces having successfully driven Kast's fleet out, Captain Kuril allowed himself to focus on the task of capturing the Arch-Provost's flagship. However, this fight was not one that would go as easily as the others had. With most of his forces engaged in mopping up the Rendili defense fleet, Kuril soon found himself under attack from the Resolute. Her fighters and forward guns were hammering his ship's forward keel with devastating ferocity, leveling firepower that he had not quite anticipated. Undaunted, the Captain ordered his own fighters into battle and allowed the Crusader's gun crews to begin returning fire with the Resolute. However, they were placed under strict orders not to fire on the bridge.

It was believed, from what Janus had relayed to them, that Shen-Jon would likely be there attempting to arrest Roan and the Dark Jedi. It was all the more motivation Kuril needed in order to scramble a boarding party against Roan's ship. No doubt Kento would be overwhelmed if he were left alone for too long. If it wasn't the Dark Jedi that would get him, it would probably be the battle gradually engulfing the Resolute.

As the battle raged in front of him, Janus felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to rejoin Shen-Jon. This was the moment where he could finally prove just what he was capable of. What's more would be that if he actually were to help in capturing the Dark Jedi, then the council would have no choice but to grant him the position of a Knight. Acting against his mandate, Janus made his way to the hanger of the Crusader and set out with the next wave of assault troops destine for the enemy ship. Though the actual trip from the Crusader to the Resolute only took minutes, it felt like it had taken much longer with the transport being buffeted from time to time by stray laser fire.

However, the transport did eventually make it aboard Kast's ship, and as the Republic boarding party began to fan out through the hanger, Janus was disappointed to find almost no resistance whatsoever. It seemed that for all of his posturing and tough talk, Roan's men weren't as willing to die for his cause as he was. Despite this, Janus was aware that there was still a battle to be won here and hurried off towards the bridge to join Shen-Jon.

---

The sneering face of the Dark Jedi was mere inches from Shen-Jon's own as their lightsabers hissed and cracked under the pressure. ”I can sense your fear, Jedi. You know you are doomed, fight it no longer.”

His opponent's words rang hollow for Kento. Strong as this Dark Jedi might have been, his emotions were being held in check. Still, he couldn't help but sense the same doubt and worry that his adversary had noted. But it was not coming from the Dark Jedi. ”Your senses are failing you. They're clouded by the Dark Side.” With a forceful push from his lightsaber, Shen-Jon spun his blade around as their lock was finally broken. As the ship groaned and creaked under their feet from the Republic bombardment, the pair circled each other like caged animals. However, as each sized the other up, their attentions were drawn towards the bulkhead door of the bridge as Janus made his entrance. Shen-Jon was disappointed to see that his student had not followed his orders, but still motioned for Janus to stay back.

The Dark Jedi was a cruel individual though, and immediately saw the opportunity Janus presented to him. Reaching out with the Force, he gripped Janus by the throat and lifted him from his feet. Janus could feel his neck being crushed under the sheer power of the Dark Side as his hands instinctively shot up to his throat in an attempt to dislodge the invisible hands. His lightsaber fell free of his grasp and clattered to the cold durasteel floor of the bridge as his vision seemed to get blurry, his eyes slowly rolling back while the last few gasps of air were forced from his lungs. In the back of his mind, Janus mused to himself momentarily, wondering if this was the same terror Azlyn had felt in the moments before her own death. The thought was fleeting, however, as he was soon released and dropped carelessly to the floor with a heavy thump. Gasping desperately for his next breath, Janus attempted to refocus his hazy focus as he saw the blurred figures of his mentor and the Dark Jedi engaged in battle once again. Shen-Jon had stepped in to save his Padawan, provoked by the Dark Jedi's actions, and had broken the man's concentration.

Though Kento pressed his advantages, using his aggressive Ataru style to fend off attack after attack from the Dark Jedi, the damage had already been done. The sight of his Padawan in danger had stirred a latent passion in Shen-Jon that the Dark Jedi had intended to awaken all along. The Dark Jedi seemed to dance around Kento's every move now, easily skirting and deflecting the Jedi's blade away with his own. ”That's right, Jedi. Give into your anger, use it to crush your fears and destroy me.”

The Dark Jedi's every word was a scathing taunt to Shen-Jon, driving him forward in an attempt to subdue his opponent. However, with the unfamiliar aid of the Dark Side's emotions at his side, Kento was sloppy and his defenses were soon overcome by the Dark Jedi's superior maneuvering and technique. In a flash of red, Shen-Jon's saber was sliced in two moments before his forearm was taken off by another skillful swipe from the crimson blade. Shocked, disarmed and in pain, Kento was no longer a match for the Dark Jedi as he was thrust into the opposite wall of the bridge by a powerful telekinetic wave.

”Hmph.... Pathetic.” The Dark Jedi spat with disgust as Shen-Jon crumpled to the floor, left unconscious by the force of the impact. However, his own victory was short lived as Janus returned to the fray, regaining his own sense before coming at the Dark Jedi with speed while his back was turned. A momentary brush against his senses of an approaching danger was all the warning the Dark Jedi had before he spun his saber around to lock with Janus' own emerald blade in mid air. ”So eager to die are we?”

Janus' face mirrored the determination that filled him. His fears and apprehensions had been buried behind a cascade of anger and hate that drove him forward. Only his silent glare answered the Dark Jedi's smug demeanor as Janus voluntarily broke their hold, retreating backwards several steps, his grip tightening around the hilt of his lightsaber as the Dark Jedi stared him down with a lop-sided grin. ”You have potential, boy. Don't waste it with these Jedi. Join me and I will show you a path to power beyond your greatest imagination.”

”And become an animal like you? I'll pass.” Janus shot back with his own barbed sarcasm as he raised his lightsaber into an Ataru high guard and made another move towards the Dark Jedi, his blade sweeping in towards his adversary's head. The attack was destine to fail, however, and Janus was easily repelled by the Dark Jedi's skillful parries. Again, Janus was set back, but the Dark Jedi did not attack. Instead, he offered once more for Janus to join him, offering him the power he needed to subdue all of the doubt and regret he carried with him. At realizing just how vulnerable and exposed his mind was, Janus was stunned and his posture slackened slightly.

”Oh yes, your inner struggle is that obvious. But I can teach you to take those feelings and turn them into power.” The Dark Jedi said, seeing the effect his words had had on the young Padawan. But another voice soon came into the room. Weak though he might have been, Shen-Jon was far from out of the fight as he forced himself back to his feet.

”Don't give into him, Janus.” In the next instant, Kento summoned what energy he had left and stretched out his remaining hand towards the Dark Jedi, using the Force to manipulate a Force Barrier around the man. Even in his current state, Shen-Jon's pure drive and determination kept him functioning well beyond what any other person might have been able to handle. The Dark Jedi found his own movements hindered now as he was forced to fight back against Kento's hold.

”You insolent whelp!” The Dark Jedi growled as his frustration grew, ”just die already!” Using the Force to shatter Shen-Jon's hold over him, the Dark Jedi threw out a hand, angry streamers of pallid blue lightning arcing from his fingertips towards the injured Jedi. With frightening force, the lightning impacted Kento in the chest, thrusting him back against the wall of the ship again as the lightning coiled around his body, snapping and hissing at him like an angry serpent. But the Dark Jedi, lost in the pleasure of torturing Shen-Jon, had let his guard down once too often and Janus advanced once more.

Before the Dark Jedi could react, Janus rushed forward and planted his blade firmly in the man's back. Almost immediately, the lightning ceased and a sharp grunt escaped the Dark Jedi's mouth as he slowly turned to face Janus. Falling to his knees, his lightsaber slid back into its hilt as the weapon dropped from his hand. With his remaining power, the Dark Jedi cut a wicked smirk to Janus, ”I knew you had it in you.... Boy.” The Dark Jedi collapsed seconds later to his side and died at Janus' feet.

Janus' attention only lingered on his dead enemy for a moment before his concerns shifted back to Shen-Jon. Rushing to his mentor's side, he could see the extent of his injuries for the first time. His skin was burned from the lightning, his body bruised from where he had been smashed against the bulkhead like a ragdoll. But Janus could still sense a glimmer of life inside Kento. Moments later, a team of Republic soldiers who had been among the landing party burst onto the bridge, their weapons raised as they moved forward and scanned every corner of the room. While several of the soldiers moved to subdue the remainder of the bridge crew and place the Arch-Provost under arrest, a small squad moved to secure the body of the fallen Dark Jedi and assist Shen-Jon and Janus. The pair would manage to escape the Resolute and return to the Crusader where Kento was immediately placed in bacta.

A short time later, Captain Kuril ordered his ship out of the system and back to Coruscant to deliver Kast to justice. In the meantime, Janus would have to report to the council on the events that had transpired over Rendili. It wouldn't be an easy story to tell, of that much he was certain.

Part II

In the wake of the events at Rendili, Janus had delivered his report to the council. He mentioned the manipulation of the Dark Jedi, informed them of the skirmish that had taken place between the Republic and Rendili fleets. He even elaborated on his own failure to listen to Shen-Jon's orders to remain aboard the Crusader, arguing that if he had not shown up, then almost certainly Kento would have been killed. The council felt differently though. They countered, saying that it was Janus' very presence that had caused a distraction and allowed the Dark Jedi to gain the advantage over Shen-Jon. Without Janus' intervention, the council believed that the situation could have been kept well in hand. With regards to their judgment, Janus was seen as a maverick with dangerous tendencies. His history on Tython as the culprit in the death of a fellow Jedi, now combined with his reckless disregard for the orders of a senior Jedi while in the field, left some of the council members distrusting of him.

In the interim, while Shen-Jon was still recovering from his encounter with the Dark Jedi, Janus was placed under the temporary care of Master Decon Altis. A much stricter and more traditional mentor than Shen-Jon ever was, Altis immediately set Janus to the task of meditating on the events at Rendili. He was meant to consider his actions and the consequences they had. More than anything, Altis saw that Janus lacked discipline and sought to rectify this issue. Around this time, Janus' skills with the Force and his saber seemed to stagnate as he was not taught any new techniques by Decon. Instead, his lessons seemed to regress back to childish exercises in control as Altis emphasized the need for discipline. For Janus, this was frustrating, if not partially demeaning. His years of progress had been set back by months thanks to Master Altis, and Janus formed a generally negative relationship with him.

However, Shen-Jon would make a full recovery from his injuries a few weeks later – news that Janus was delighted to hear. He fully anticipated being placed back in Shen-Jon's care, ridding himself of the loathsome Master Altis. But there was a catch in that plan. Given the nature of the report that the council had received after Rendili, they were forced to reevaluate their choice in mentor for Janus. Shen-Jon was a capable Jedi, but even he was found to be lacking in discipline from time to time. It was obvious that a stronger authority figure would be needed to reign in Janus' ambitions. While some members of the council wanted to exile Janus outright, this was overruled as it was seen to be far more dangerous to let him go with the training he had received, as opposed to keeping him within the order where they could provide him with further guidance.

For weeks the council deliberated on the matter, carefully considering a host of new candidates who could be tasked with taking on Janus as their student. In spite of this, however, the council's deliberations did not slow his training. While he was still technically apprenticed to Master Altis at the time, Kento had taken it upon himself to continue teaching his Padawan in private. Janus was both apologetic and grateful towards his mentor. Apologetic for failing to heed his orders at Rendili, and grateful for Shen-Jon's sacrifice in saving his own life.

Kento took his student's apologies humbly, recognizing his own short comings at the time. He had allowed the Dark Side to cloud his judgment, affording the Dark Jedi room to gain the upper hand. Though Shen-Jon had not spoken of it in years, Rendili had awakened a slumbering emotion in him as he recounted the story of his first Padawan to Janus. She was a Twi'lek named Aleena. Bright, outgoing, witty and compassionate, she had been Shen-Jon's star pupil for years until her untimely death at the hands of a Sith cult on Vjun. After her death, Kento had vowed never to allow another student to fall prey to the Dark Side the way Aleena had. And in Janus he had found that second chance. He was willing to do anything to protect him from becoming twisted by the touch of the Sith or their corrupt teachings.

Exceptionally grateful for Shen-Jon's commitment to him, Janus would seek his mentor's guidance as new thoughts began to plague his mind. Like Kento, the experience over Rendili had awakened in him memories and emotions from the past. Specifically those surrounding Azlyn's death on Tython. He could recall them clearly, perhaps even more so now since he had come close to facing his own demise at the hands of the Dark Jedi. In those moments aboard the Resolute, Janus felt what he was certain were the same primal feelings Azlyn had felt in her last moments.

Overcome by guilt at this realization, Janus confided in Shen-Jon that he did not think himself strong enough to endure the remorse he was feeling. Shen-Jon was understanding, however, and advised Janus not to let his guilt control him. He knew what his student was feeling, and he knew how it could eat away at him. Though Janus was thankful for Shen-Jon's council, he simply could not erase his own guilt. It would be something he would carry with him for years to come, reflecting on it in times of need and doing his best to ignore it when possible.

With Shen-Jon's help, Janus would be able to control his emotions, gradually trusting in the greater wisdom of the Force to see his path clear through life. According to Shen-Jon, the Force would forgive all in time. Even in the darkest of souls and the most heinous of acts there could be found a tiny measure of good. Janus would take these words to heart in time, using them to aid his continuing studies in the Force and its philosophies.

Part III

In the months following Kento's recovery, the council had seen fit to once again pair Shen-Jon with Janus. Though some members of the council were unpleased by this arrangement, others felt that Kento had grown and matured since the experience. They duly recognized the sacrifices he had made in order to protect the life of his Padawan, and equally understood that there was a level of trust and companionship between him and his student. The council was aware of Shen-Jon's own history with the order, and it was seen that his own experience with loss would help him to relate more easily with Janus on the matter. And indeed this was the case. Though Shen-Jon had been conversing with and training Janus on a continual basis even when he was under the watch of Master Altis, it was clear that Kento's own council was far more effective than Decon's attempts to drill discipline and obedience into Janus' mind. Still, the burgeoning relationship between the two warranted more attention from the council. While Shen-Jon would be allowed to continue training Janus as his Padawan, the pair would be placed under the direct supervision of Master Altis.

It was an unprecedented arrangement, to be sure. Charging a Master with both a Knight and his Padawan at the same time was neither traditional nor very common. But the council saw it as a necessary step, hoping that Decon's own strict methods would help to balance out Shen-Jon's unorthodox tendencies, and by association, Janus' as well. Janus voiced his dislike for the arrangement to Shen-Jon personally, but again he was advised to exercise patience and control. Janus would oblige Kento's requests, but he still felt uncomfortable with Master Altis continually looking over his shoulder now.

In spite of this, however, Janus would continue his training in earnest under Shen-Jon's guidance. In light of their experience over Rendili, Kento saw the need to help Janus improve his skills with his lightsaber. Though Shen-Jon was somewhat handicapped now, having lost both his saber and his dominant hand to the Dark Jedi, he nonetheless continued to educate Janus on the finer points of lightsaber combat. With additional instructions from Shen-Jon, Janus was able to fully master Shii-Cho before moving on to sharpen his skills with Ataru.

Through diligent practice and tutoring from Shen-Jon, Janus became a moderately skill practitioner in the form. In addition to helping his Apprentice tighten his from with Ataru, Kento also went on to instruct Janus on Form II, best known as Makashi. Shen-Jon had studied the form for himself several years ago, but never found it to be overly exciting. However, faced with the disabilities of his injuries, Makashi seemed like a good form to begin using considering it would take him some time to adjust to using a mechanical appendage for dueling purposes. Finesse, foot work, blade work, and even learning how to tap into the Force in the midst of combat were all paramount to the new lessons Janus was beginning to learn from his mentor.

A decidedly weaker and more elegant form specifically designed for lightsaber to lightsaber combat, Makashi relied heavily on the duelist's foot work and blade control to attain victory in battle. Whereas Ataru was built around making wide, powerful slashes executed often times in sweeping arcs, Makashi took on the appearance of being more like fencing. Janus had trouble adopting Makashi initially as he had come to prefer Ataru for the benefits it provided him in combat. The single handed stance felt awkward for the Anzati Padawan, almost as if his weapon was prone to falling from his hand at any moment due to even the slightest disturbance. However, Shen-Jon calmly urged his Padawan to continue practice with the form, and after some time, Janus began to develop basic skills with Makashi.

As time progressed, so too did Janus' training and skills. Through Shen-Jon's constant insistence and tutorship, Makashi was soon added to Janus' repertoire of lightsaber forms. Though it remained underdeveloped when compared to his skills in Ataru, he had finally managed to come around to the philosophy behind Form II. As the months drew on and Janus practiced more and more with the form, he came to find something almost meditative and calm about it. He found himself able to focus more in combat exercises. Compared to Ataru, which could be an exhausting form to utilize, Makashi was almost relaxing, requiring minimal effort to execute the feints, parries, thrusts, and small, precise cuts that were the hallmarks of the form.

Gradually, Janus came to respect the fluidity and elegance of the form, considering it almost something of an art form at times as a skilled practitioner, according to Shen-Jon's own demonstrations with it, could appear so calm that they almost seemed to be dancing rather than fighting. Eventually, the wisdom in Shen-Jon's reasons for teaching him Makashi dawned on Janus, as he found it much easier to quiet his mind in a duel with Form II as it did not draw as heavily on the Force to aid in its practitioner in battle. Despite his initial dislike for Makashi, Janus was slowly becoming a student of “The Way of the Ysalmiri”, and would come to study the form for many years thereafter, even going so far as to incorporate some aspects of it into other lightsaber forms that he would learn later on.

In addition to teaching his student how to properly harness the skills necessary for both Ataru and Makashi, Shen-Jon also went on to edify Janus on the concept of Sokan. Not so much a style of fighting as it is a philosophy or idea, Sokan was explained to Janus as being a nuance of lightsaber combat that was built around the notion of using one's surroundings to gain the advantage in combat. Concepts such as using high ground, confined spaces, and his telekinetic abilities to hurl loose objects around as makeshift projectiles during battle were all skills that Shen-Jon would teach his young student. And for the most part, Janus easily adopted these principles as well, finding them to be an excellent addition to his improving abilities with a both the blade and the Force.

Chapter 4: Dark Forces:

Part I

With his lessons moving along nicely, Janus was becoming a highly adept student. His saber skills were improving by the day it seemed, and with Shen-Jon's guidance, so too were his philosophical studies in the Force. Beyond his lessons in some of the more complex techniques with his saber, Shen-Jon would continue training Janus in several new applications of the Force. Chief among these was introducing his student to the power of the Force Stealth ability. After Rendili, Shen-Jon had seen the need to not only teach Janus how to better defend himself, but also how to stay hidden should all else fail. As an introduction to this power, Kento taught Janus how to first quiet his mind. Clearing his thoughts of any strong emotions would be paramount to mastering Force Stealth as it required a balance between both physical and mental clarity to properly utilize. But, given the unique nature of Janus' biology, maintaining a calm inner harmony with his body was a simple task. He was naturally born without any form of biorhythm and thus he only required but a minimal amount of focus to maintain this inner calm. His mind was a different story though.

Often battling between his innate hunger for the essence of other beings and his own guilt at knowing what this hunger was capable of, Janus found clearing his thoughts to be somewhat difficult. Where his earliest lessons in meditation had only asked him to suppress these thoughts and emotions, striking a kind of balance with them, the new methods that were needed to use Force Stealth were more involved and required a fair deal more concentration then just simply meditating did. Still, thanks to Shen-Jon's own experience with the ability, he was able to impart extensive knowledge on the power to his student and after several months of experimenting with it, Janus was proving to be marginally skilled with Force Stealth. Often times, Kento's favorite method for helping Janus to build on his skills with this ability was by playing what was essentially a game of hide and seek with him in the temple. Janus would be asked to find a hiding spot, then use his skills with Force Stealth to remain hidden from Shen-Jon for as long as possible. At first, Janus could only stay in hiding for minutes. But over the next few months, minutes became hours and the longest search Shen-Jon engaged in for his Padawan lasted for nearly three hours before Janus became both exhausted and bored waiting for his mentor to find him.

Finally though, at the age of 22, Janus was granted his second mission along side Shen-Jon, Master Altis and his own Padawan, Morgan Kanos. The mission was considered simple by many standards, but in no way was it ever portrayed as anything less than crucial. This mission would serve to test both Janus and Morgan's capabilities as Jedi, as it would provide suitable ground for them to practice what they had learned, while still gaining new experience that would help them to continue growing as individuals. Likewise, it would help the council to gage how Shen-Jon had matured as a teacher and leader. Failing to successfully complete this mission would almost certainly mean that Janus would be removed from his care. Additionally, the council would make it abundantly clear that Master Altis was to be placed in overall command of the mission. His authority was that of the council's, and what he deemed necessary was what the others were to follow.

Shen-Jon accepted this ruling by the council, somewhat relieved that he would be able to focus more exclusively on guiding and training Janus during the course of their mission. He did not mind being called upon to lead in a situation that called for it, but even to him it was obvious that Janus required a more direct approach when it came to demonstrating restraint in the field of operations. Of course, Janus was less than satisfied with the council yet again. He disliked Master Altis and despised the notion of having to follow orders from him. Likewise, Janus was not comfortable around Morgan. Though he had never met him prior to their new assignment, his first impression of him left much to be desired. Kanos appeared cocky, arrogant and sure of himself. Janus felt that both he and Shen-Jon were looked down upon by Decon and Morgan as the “black sheep” of the order, unworthy of notice and even less worthy of trust. Again, Janus would be candid with Shen-Jon about his personal concerns, but as he had done before, Kento merely suggested patience. However, Janus took this suggestion with far less enthusiasm than he had before. Partially frustrated by his mentor, he asked why patience would fix everything when clearly proving themselves as capable Jedi would be a far more effective method to gaining the council's trust again.

Shen-Jon explained that while doing so may gain them favor with the council, it could just as easily backfire on them, leading to even more distrust. He would go on to say that not every aspect of being a Jedi was about charging in to take the lead. Their abilities with the Force were not weapons to be used on a whim, but rather tools that they could use to bring wisdom and peace to where it was needed most. He would continue further by saying that sometimes all that was required of them was to observe, consider and contemplate. As Shen-Jon would put it – “often times the open palm can do more than the closed fist.”

Reluctantly, Janus followed Shen-Jon's words of advice and kept his personal feelings in check as they set out on their path towards the Core World of Alderaan.

Part II

Long since considered the spiritual heart of the galaxy, renowned for its splendor and highly cultured society, Alderaan was a picturesque world that was known just as much for its natural beauty as it was for producing some of the galaxy's most notable and brilliant political figures. To the casual observer, it was hard to picture corruption and unrest plaguing a world such as Alderaan. But serenity and natural beauty are no defense against the influences of the depraved and lawless. Often seeking to take advantage of the pacifistic lifestyle of its inhabitants, the planet's Governors and Senators were usually made the unwilling targets of assassins, bounty hunters, crime lords and other nefarious individuals bent on intimidating or bribing their way into the highest echelon of Alderaanian society. To own a Senator from Alderaan was considered by many in the criminal underworld to be a crowning achievement. And it was activity such as this that had drawn the Jedi's attention in recent days and prompted them to investigate.

Arriving just outside the capital, the group was immediately greeted by Senator Silus Kessler and a small cadre of security forces and other political delegates. Silus had contacted the Jedi Council only days prior, imploring them for assistance after assassins struck at his family, bombing his private estate in Aldera. Fortunately, both the Senator and his family were vacationing at their summer home during the time of the attack; but the event still hit too close to home for Silus' comfort.

Doing his best to put the Senator's mind at ease, Decon assured him that they would do everything in their power to safeguard his family and discover the identity of his attacker. Though he was still unnerved by the potential threat of another attack, Silus was grateful for the Jedi's assistance all the same and felt somewhat more comfortable knowing they would be watching over his family in the days to come. Following their initial meeting with the Senator, Master Altis set to work to make good on his promise, taking Shen-Jon with him as the pair accompanied Silus on a fact finding mission to the ruins of his estate in Aldera where they would attempt to gather any information they could that may help in the coming investigation. Meanwhile, Morgan and Janus were sent to Kessler's isolated mountain retreat to keep a watchful eye on his wife and daughter.

Arriving at the Senator's safe house, it was obvious that even here Silus was taking no chances with the lives of his family. Instructed to land several miles out from their destination, Janus and Morgan were greeted by a heavily armed security detail who insisted that they must be properly identified and scanned before they were to be permitted entrance onto the estate grounds. Morgan took the manner of their arrival as an insult, berating the security chief and calling him an incompetent fool for not recognizing them as representatives of the Jedi Order. Janus on the other hand allowed for a cooler head to prevail and took control of the situation, politely introducing himself and apologizing for Morgan's behavior in the process. He understood that although these were stressful times for the family, they were all working towards the same goal of protecting their well being, and promised the full cooperation of both himself and Kanos to help ease tensions. Though Morgan was still displeased with the conditions, even more so now that he had been shown up by Janus, he eventually obliged the security team's demands and the two were granted safe passage to the estate. Once there, the pair were introduced to the Senator's wife, Anya and their 15 year old daughter, Nika.

Upon first meeting Nika, Janus could sense an inherent ability for the Force in her. He briefly wondered if her parents were aware of her gifts and whether or not her sensitivity with the Force could have been a potential factor behind the attacks on the family. It seemed an unlikely stretch to equate Nika's Force affinity with the motivations of an unidentified assassin, and so Janus put the notion to rest. A short time afterwards, Decon and Kento returned from their trip to Aldera, their investigations revealing some startling evidence. Amid the ruins of the Senator's estate, they had found indications of weaponry most commonly used by Mandalorains. From the outside, it appeared as if though the family was being made the target of a rogue militia group calling themselves the Crimson Dawn.

Though a fairly new organization to the galaxy, the Crimson Dawn had slowly been making a name for itself by launching attacks against Republic held worlds; mostly industrial centers and lightly defended protectorates. At first their goals seemed unclear and the attacks were mostly seen as the work of disgruntled Mandalorian mercenaries who were continuing their centuries long grudge with the Republic following their last defeat in the Mandalorian Wars almost 300 years ago.

In truth, however, the Crimson Dawn was merely a front that employed Mandalorians as part of a paramilitary force being secretly operated by a conglomerate of corporate alliances. The true might behind the Crimson Dawn's organization came form a steadily growing collection of corporate interests and aristocrats who had agreed to combine their influence and resources to forge an independent federation within the Republic that could be equally recognized within the Senate. Representing themselves as the Corporate Systems Directorate, their agenda, on the surface, was to protest unfair Republic legislature that was meant to restrict the research, development and financing of military technologies.

Despite the often impassioned speeches given by CSD representatives during Senatorial debates, it was believed that they posed little threat to the security of the Republic. At large, they were viewed as a collective of bureaucrats and corporate suits who, while well connected, lacked the stomach to engage the Republic in open conflict. Their efforts were not seen to go much farther than the halls of the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. But even this view had been challenged in recent months as the Directorate demonstrated their willingness to ignore Republic law by cracking down on the civilian populations of their representative worlds. Planets such as Cato Neimodia and Muunilist saw citizen revolts ruthlessly suppressed with military force when the popular opinion began to shift away from supporting their representative's ambitions in the Senate.

In response, the Senate voted almost unanimously to levy sanctions against the dissenting worlds. Backed by support from the affluent Core Worlds and their own independently wealthy constituents, the Republic was seeing its way clear to impose a trade embargo with planets in the CSD. Though neither Shen-Jon nor Altis had yet surmised, it was legal action such as this that had made Senator Kessler a target. His vote was but one of a few remaining that would almost totally isolate the CSD from the Republic by way of the Galactic Funding Initiative, a bill that had been drafted allowing Republic loyal industries and systems to invest in the Republic itself in exchange for additional military support. Major industrial worlds such as Kuat and Fondor had already pledged their support, and it was expected that Alderaan was to formally announce its approval of the bill as well in order to gain much needed Republic military support to help strengthen its planetary security forces. Thus, it was the hopes of the CSD that if they could intimidate or otherwise stop Senator Kessler from voting in favor of the measure, the initiative would crumble, leaving the Directorate's power base intact.

From the very beginning, Alderaan's serene appearance belied the true web of corruption and lies that was being drawn over the galaxy by the hand of greed.

Part III

In the months following his arrival on Alderaan, Janus had settled into a comfortable relationship with the Kessler family and had developed a close friendship with their daughter, whom he was often left to watch over while Shen-Jon and Decon continued their investigation into the attack. However, darker times had beset the family since Janus' initial meeting with them. Nika's older brother, Kile, whom had been maintaining constant contact with the family despite his distant posting at a Republic military base on Ord Mantell, had suddenly stopped sending messages back. This greatly worried not only Nika, but her parents as well, who came to have several arguments about the subject. Each argument seemed to be getting worse and it appeared as if though Silus and Anya were going to divorce in light of the growing tension. In order to help ease their troubles, Master Altis promised that he would locate their son for them, dispatching Shen-Jon to Ord Mantell to investigate his disappearance. In the meantime, Janus was left to continue assisting in the ongoing mission on Alderaan.

Though the family was facing many crises both internally and externally, Janus did his best to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Especially for Nika, where it was clear she was being effected by the turmoil just as much as her parents were; perhaps more so. Her education began to suffer as she was forced to live a sheltered life due to her father's growing concerns. In addition, she was gradually becoming more socially withdrawn as her friends continued to grow up around her to lead normal lives while she was stuck living under constant supervision. As much as her social life suffered, so too did her home life as the near continual arguing between her parents did little to help the situation.

Realizing the potential damage such living conditions could inflict on her, Janus approached her parents and asked for their permission to instruct Nika on some minor Force techniques that would help her to better cope with the stress. Janus had decided not to speak with Altis on the matter before hand, his extreme dislike for the man leading him to believe that his efforts would be wasted trying to convince him. After a short discussion between Janus, Silus and Anya, they agreed that Nika could benefit from such lessons. More than anything, Silus and Anya realized that the strain of recent events had certainly gotten the better of them and that their daughter was the one who was suffering the consequences of their constant bickering. With approval from both of Nika's parents, Janus was allowed to teach her some meditation techniques to help calm her mind and block out the conflict around her.

Assuming the role of a teacher for the first time in his life, Janus wasn't certain where to begin, so he recounted the training he had received from Shen-Jon. Building on what he himself had already been taught, Janus enlightened Nika on the concept of the Force and explained that she had the capabilities within herself to tap into it. Through the Force, she could calm herself and find peace among even the most troubling situations and could even influence the world around her to a degree.

Though Nika still proved too troubled and unfocused to fully understand the concepts being presented to her, she was nonetheless able to use some of Janus' lessons to help herself overcome the fear and worry that plagued her. On certain occasions, Janus would even entertain her with simple parlor tricks like floating books across the room or playing practical jokes on some of the estate security guards. Slowly, thanks to Janus' influences, Nika was once again becoming the affluent young girl she once was and had formed a close friendship with the Jedi Padawan. However, Altis managed to catch on to what Janus was doing and reprimanded him, ordering him to stop teaching the girl immediately. Janus argued his position on the matter, but Decon would hear none of it and eventually forbade Janus from ever speaking to, or interacting with, Nika for the remainder of their stay on Alderaan. Janus was furious with Altis, and even more so with Kanos who was now more smug than ever. Still, Janus had proven to be a clever and resourceful Jedi in the past, and rather than simply fighting Master Altis' mandate head on, he found a way to meet with Nika on more private terms.

During these secret meetings, which often took place at night within a secluded greenhouse located among the estate's gardens, Janus would continue teaching Nika how to meditate and clear her mind. He even went so far as trying to teach her some basic skills with telekinesis. Though Nika did possess some connection to the Force, she was clumsy at best in her efforts. Still, the two genuinely enjoyed the time they were spending with each other. After a time, Nika would confess to Janus that she had come to think of him as a second big brother. There was nearly a decade between herself and Kile, and she had never really been given a chance to know him since he left home for the military very early on in her childhood. She also admitted that she did not care for either Master Altis or his student. They both seemed very strict and unpleasant to be around, and she often wondered if all Jedi were like that. She had always envisioned something a bit more.... Glamorous.

Janus found Nika's views on the Jedi to be a bit amusing, but he couldn't deny that he didn't care for Altis or Kanos either. Still, he felt grateful that Nika had grown to like him and would go on to explain that not all Jedi were like Decon or Morgan. Though he would often leave out the details of some of his more troubling times, Janus kept Nika's hopes in the Jedi alive by telling her stories of Shen-Jon's exploits with the order. They were mostly stories that Shen-Jon had told Janus about his own early days with the Jedi, so there was little telling how much of it was absolute truth and how much of it was just mild fabrication. But the stories seemed to keep Nika distracted from her troubles, and that was all that mattered to Janus.

However, events beyond their control were on the move in the galaxy. Events that would eventually test the very limitations of Janus' resolve.

Part IV

Despite their best efforts to intimidate Senator Kessler into withdrawing his support from the Galactic Funding Initiative, the Crimson Dawn had failed to bring about the desired changes sought by the CSD. If anything, their actions had proven to have the opposite effect, as Kessler now appeared to be a staunch supporter of the initiative, vowing to use his vote to push the bill through in order to secure peace and stability not only for himself and his family, but for the people of Alderaan as well. For the Directorate this was a major set back in their plans; clearly it was time to step up their game. With the deadline for the ratification of the funding initiative drawing nearer by the day, it became clear that Silus would need to be permanently removed from the equation. Behind the guise of lengthy political debates and legal protests meant to stall the bill's approval in the Senate, the CSD was secretly plotting the assassination of Senator Kessler.

Meanwhile, Janus would continue with his assignment on Alderaan, oblivious to the brewing turmoil on the galaxy's political stage. He would continue his late night rendezvous with Nika, going on to help the girl refine her minor skills with telekinesis. Where she had once been almost completely inept with the power, Janus' continual patience and diligence in teaching her allowed Nika to begin demonstrating more and more talent with the ability. Of course, the two would keep this a secret between them in order to avoid any suspicions from Master Altis. However, whatever comfort Janus had once been able to glean from his friendship with Nika was soon eclipsed by new concerns.

It had been several weeks since Shen-Jon had been dispatched by Decon to locate Nika's older brother on Ord Mantell, and in that time he had yet to report back with his findings. In fact, none of them had heard from him since his departure from Alderaan. Janus feared that the worst may have happened and slowly grew more and more anxious in the coming days as they received no word from Shen-Jon. By contrast, both Altis and Kanos seemed rather nonchalant about Kento's disappearance. Such a cavalier attitude upset Janus and all but proved his prior misgivings about the pair. Neither of them cared for Shen-Jon or himself and Janus' already limited interaction with them gradually became no interaction.

Though Janus would try to exercise the patience and restraint that Shen-Jon often championed, he found it exceedingly difficult now. More than anything he wanted to abandon the mission on Alderaan and head off in search of his mentor. This was a task easier said than done though. Due to the distrust that existed between himself and Altis, Janus was under almost constant watch from Kanos. He felt suffocated by Morgan's ever leering presence around him. But at least Janus had his friendship with Nika, it was the one bright spot that he chose to focus on to help keep himself centered.

However, circumstances beyond Janus' control were conspiring and threatening to rob him of even this simple pleasure. On a clear, cool evening while Janus and Nika were hidden within the safety of the greenhouse, the pair were happened upon by Kanos, who had managed to trail Janus to the hidden location:

”Don't try to think about it, just feel it. Let the Force flow naturally.” Janus said, watching the determination in Nika's expression as she concentrated all of her attention on the small glass vase in front of her. Gradually, the vase began to move of its own accord, and a delighted giggle escaped her lips. Janus smiled lightly at her efforts, ”good, try to visualize the vase moving on its own. Feel the Force within you creating a bond with it. Use that bond to transfer your will to the vase.”

The vase moved a bit more, shaking slightly on its pedestal as Nika honed her focus ever closer onto the object. She could feel something now, a slight sensation within the palm of her hand as she tried to mentally picture the vase in her grasp. Moving slowly, she raised her hand, attempting to will the vase to move for her, Janus' words of encouragement fresh in her mind. Nika bit her bottom lip gently as she narrowed her vision and stretched her hand towards the vase before it suddenly jumped from its place at her command. An excited smile spread across her face as the vase left its stand and hovered a few inches above the surface.

”I'm really doing this aren't I?” She asked, her attention flitting between Janus and the vase in front of them.

Janus nodded, ”Keep concentrating on the vase, hold it there for a second. Get comfortable feeling it without your hands.” Nika gave his words a quick nod as she returned her focus to the vase. ”When you feel ready, try to move the vase a bit more. The Force will allow you to do anything you desire with it, just trust in its guidance.”

[Gamov]

Part IV - Continued

Nika moved her hand slightly, pivoting it to her right. Surprisingly, she was elated to see that the vase moved in tandem with the motion of her own hand, gliding through the air until she held it suspended just off the edge of the pedestal. The whole experience felt surreal to her. She would have never thought herself capable of such a thing before, but here she was, holding a vase in mid air with the Force. On a deeper level though, she felt a simple joy in it all. Having Janus around these past few weeks had made things a little easier for her, and she had actually found herself smiling and laughing again. It was the happiest she had been in a long while.

”There you go. Once you set your mind to it, the Force will allow you to accomplish anything.” Janus said, pleased with Nika's progress. However, his words of praise were soon overshadowed by another voice intruding on their conversation.

”Look what we have here,” Morgan said, leaning comfortably on the doorway to the greenhouse, his arms crossed over his chest as he cast a judgmental eye towards Janus and Nika. The vase fell from Nika's grasp and shattered on the floor as she turned with a start towards Kanos. ”I thought Master Altis had given you strict instructions on this, Janus. You weren't to train her anymore.”

Janus cut a frustrated glare at Morgan's chiding words. ”I don't see the harm in it, Kanos. Besides, her parents approve...”

”Are her parents on the Jedi Council?” Morgan asked, cutting Janus off as he pushed himself away from the door and took a few steps into the greenhouse, ”Master Altis has authority here. Whatever he says goes, and right now I think he'd agree that you need to go.” He extended a hand towards Nika as if to ask her to come along with him, but she retreated from his gesture back to Janus' side.

”What about Nika's wishes, Kanos? Doesn't she get a say? She's obviously willing to learn.” Janus replied, defending his choices just as much as he was standing up for Nika who seemed too nervous to voice her own opinion.

Morgan shook his head slowly, ”she's too old, you know that. It's not the Jedi way to...”

It was Janus' turn to interrupt Morgan now, recalling the words of Shen-Jon as he cut his rival off mid sentence, ”the Jedi way is to bring peace, comfort and wisdom to those that need it most. These have been exceptionally hard times for Nika and her family. I'm merely using what I was taught to bring peace and comfort to her in her time of need.”

”There are other ways to do that, Janus. And you know it. We don't run around the galaxy teaching everyone with a problem about the Force. It's neither practical nor safe.... They can't understand the Force the way we do.”

Nika took Kanos' words, though poorly chosen perhaps by mere accident, as an insult to her own intelligence and spoke up for the first time in the conversation, ”I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. And believe it or not, I do know right from wrong.”

Morgan fumbled for an apology or way to mend his verbal misstep, but before he could form the words, a loud explosion drew the group's attention back down the hill towards the mansion. Over the distant horizon, the hilltop glowed an eerie orange hue as a plume of black smoke began to billow up from beyond the crest of the hill. Acting on instinct, Janus and Kanos set aside their differences for the time being and moved to investigate what had happened. Nika attempted to follow, but Janus firmly instructed her to stay put for the moment until they could figure out what was going on. As the pair neared the top of the hill overlooking the Senator's estate, the sight that greeted them was an absolute shock. The mansion was an inferno, the top floors engulfed in a rolling conflagration of red and orange flames. On the grounds around the estate, bursts of laser fire could be seen pouring into the burning building as armored figures pressed in from all sides, overwhelming the security force stationed at the mansion within a matter of minutes. Rising over the crackling flames and the distant rapport of blasters were the barely audible voices of the attackers, loudly communicating orders to one another as their perimeter closed in on the mansion.

As the pair of Padawans stared at the burning building, Nika's own curiosity and worry had gotten the better of her and she soon joined them at the ridge. However, upon seeing her family's home under attack, she seemed to abandon all logic as she shouted for her parents at the top of her lungs and began barreling down the hill towards the fighting with little care for her own safety.

”Nika, wait!” Janus called out to her, but his words fell on deaf ears and he was forced to follow after her, Kanos close behind as the pair charged after the girl. ”You find the family, I've got her.” Janus called to Morgan, who surprisingly put his normally confrontational attitude aside as he ignited his yellow bladed lightsaber and charged into the thick of the fighting, distracting the nearest group of mercenaries with a dazzling display of his skill in Soresu. Janus meanwhile focused all of his energy on catching up with Nika, who was fast approaching the burning mansion.

Approaching the crumbling building, Nika seemed oblivious to the mercenaries around her laying siege to the place. Her only thoughts at the moment were for her mother and father, damn the obstacles and consequences standing in her way. She was driven by adrenaline at this point as a mixture of worry, anger, sorrow and anxiety set into her mind. Though she hadn't noticed it, tears had begun to find their way to the surface of her cheeks as the heady cocktail of emotions in her set her every nerve on edge. Reaching the front door of the estate, she burst through with little care, only to be caught by the raging inferno inside. Stopped in her tracks by a suffocating wall of heat, Nika stumbled a bit, shielding her face from the harsh glare of the flames as she called out into the house for her parents. All around her, the ornate carvings and timeless works of art that her mother and father had spent years collecting were snapping and crackling as they burst into flames. Nika would have broken down in tears at that moment were it not for the intense heat evaporating them before they had a chance to form.

Janus was through the door next, not but a few steps behind Nika as he too was caught off guard by the intensity of the heat and flames inside the house. He had a far better defense against the elements than Nika did though, projecting a Force Barrier around himself to deflect the heat and smoke away from his body as he wrapped his arm around Nika's waist and pulled her back out the door moments before the ceiling above them gave way and collapsed into room. Though she had narrowly avoided being crushed to death, Nika struggled against Janus, desperately trying to get back to the house.

”Let me go! My parents are in there!” She was practically trying to gouge her way out of Janus' grasp. But his hold was strong and all she could seem to do was flail helplessly at the sight of her burning home.

Janus wrestled with the struggling girl, finally calling on the Force to help him quiet her mind and calm her nerves, ”we'll get them out, but it won't do them any good if you die in the process.” As Nika's struggling slowly subsided, Kanos appeared from around the corner of the mansion, hurrying to the pair.

”Anyone hurt?” Janus shook his head at the question. Though they might have had a rivalry with each other, Morgan had never wanted to see anything happen to Janus, ”good. We should get her to safety while we can. I saw one of the mercenary ship's landed around the back. It should serve its purpose well enough”

”Good,” Janus replied, gently nudging Nika towards Morgan. ”Take her, get her as far away from here as you can.”

”Where are you going?” Kanos asked, confusion mirrored in his expression.

”The Senator and his wife are still in there. I'm going after them.”

Morgan blanched at the comment and protested, ”that's suicide! Master Altis can handle that. Our priority is...”

”To see to the family's safety,” Janus cut in. ”If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me and don't look back.” He didn't give Kanos another chance to speak before he gathered the Force around himself for protection and made his way back into the collapsing building.

Inside, the halls were choked with a thick, acrid smoke that burned the nostrils and stung the eyes. Flames were crawling over every surface of the house, licking at doors, windows and stairs like an angry beast devouring its prey. Janus began to doubt his decision now. There was no way of telling if the Senator or his wife were still in the house. With any luck they might have already escaped, but with every step deeper into the decaying mansion, Janus began to doubt their survival. If the assassins had not yet finished them, no doubt this inferno would.

Chapter 5: Bete Noire:

Chapter 6: Exodus:

Chapter 7: The Art of Ruin:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Chapter 8: Judgment:

Chapter 9: Pariah:

Part I

Part II

Chapter 10: The Faded Line:

Chapter 11: Not All Who Wander Are Lost:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Chapter 12: Dehumanization:

Chapter 13: Road To Perdition:

Part I

Part II

Chapter 14: Meet The Monster:

Chapter 15: The Bitter End:

Part I

Part II

Chapter 16: In umbris potestas est:

Lightsaber: Single Blade

Color: Red

Practiced Lightsaber forms:

Shii-Cho: 5
Makashi: 5
Ataru: 4
Shien/Djem So: 5

Force-Sensitive Abilities or practices:

Telekinetic: 7
Telepathic: 8
Body: 5
Sense: 6
Protection: 3
Healing: 4
Destruction: 8

Specialized Skills:

Multilingual:

Olys Corellisi – Fluent/Literate
Dosh – Fluent/Literate
Mando'a – Comprehension (basic conversation skills/some literacy)
Binary – Comprehension (does not speak it)

Battlemind
Drain Knowledge
Force Crush
Force Stealth
Force Storm
Torture By Chagrin

Attributes:

Physical Strength: 6
Intelligence: 9
Speed: 6
Leadership: 7

Unarmed: 1
Melee Weapons: 1
Ranged Weapons: 1

Force Attunement: -8

RP Sample:

[sparrow]

Two quick things before you hurt yourself trying to finish this guy:

1) If you read the rules, you might notice the "No Sith" rule. In our timeline, the Sith have been gone for 300 years. Thus it would be impossible for your character to have met the sith, joined the sith, fought the sith, etc... You get the idea.

2) The minimum age on the site to be a jedi knight is 22, but it does not mean that a character turns into a jedi knight automatically at 22 years of age. One of the other requirements to being a jedi knight is being an adult, and at 22, your anzat character is still 80 years away from puberty. He'd be like a toddler.

[sparrow]

Moving to Incomplete.